Top EU diplomat says sanctions should not block access to medical supplies against COVID-19

European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, holds a virtual news conference at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, on March 31, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

Sanctions should not block deliveries of medical equipment and supplies to countries working to curb the outbreak of the new coronavirus, says the European Union (EU) foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell.

The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs made the remarks in a declaration on Friday, “strongly” supporting the UN’s call for a swift global truce to allow the international community to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The European Union also stresses that sanctions should not impede the delivery of essential equipment and supplies necessary to fight the coronavirus and limit its spread worldwide,” Borrell said.

The COVID-19 disease, caused by a new coronavirus, was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December and has currently affected 205 countries and territories across the globe. So far, more than 1,153,140 people have tested positive. Over 61,650 have died.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

“The European Union underlines that UN and EU sanctions provide for humanitarian exceptions. Through application of these exceptions, the EU and its Member States will ensure that these sanctions do not obstruct the global fight against COVID-19,” Borrell further said.

He also stressed that in order to fight the current pandemic, which is “an unprecedented challenge,”global unity, cooperation, solidarity and compassion were required.

Borrell’s comments came after the United States ignored calls to suspend its sanctions on Iran, one of the world’s hardest-hit countries from COVID-19.

As of Saturday, the official figures by Iran’s Health Ministry showed that more than 55,740 people have tested positive, of whom 4,103 are in critical condition, and over 3,450 others have died.

Iran is seriously working to curb further spread of the contagious disease and save more lives as it is under the pressure of Washington’s unilateral sanctions, including those on medicine, and medical equipment and supplies. Tehran has already branded the inhumane sanctions as “medical terrorism.”

In a letter to the EU foreign policy chief on Saturday, Iran's Ambassador to Belgium Gholam Hossein Dehqani warned about the adverse consequences of the US sanctions on the Islamic Republic's fight against the current pandemic, urging the European body to oppose Washington's restrictions.

“The unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran under the guise of its 'maximum pressure' campaign undermine the country's ability to effectively battle the virus without any international support in the long run,” he said.

Dehqani said international bodies had welcomed Iran’s request to oppose the inhumane sanctions.

Washington has refused to lift the sanctions on Iran and even intensified them several times in recent weeks, making it almost impossible for the Islamic Republic to import life-saving medications and medical equipment.

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